Constant smoke smell in nasal passages.

[PN904]

I am a non-smoker. We are a non-smoking family. I am not around smokers at all. Why do I have the constant smell of smoke in my nose. It used to be just an occasional thing, but lately it seems to be all the time. I am concerned that this is a symptom of something I don't know about. The smell is strong. I used to notice it about a half hour after taking my Allegra-D 12 hr. tablets, but now I smell it much more often. Am I going crazy or is there something to this I'm not aware of. Has anyone else experienced this? Please help?

[RHCountess]

FINALLY a name for this.  PHANTOSMIA.  I found some links regarding this when I did a search for olfactory damage since I had a cat-scan done and the ENT specialist said that although the scan did not show anything - that it sounded like my past illness had caused some olfactory nerve damage.  There also has been some mention of possible damage being caused by certain medications.  I am going to talk to ENT again regarding possible surgical solution to this since I have seen some info on this being successful before.  This is becoming unbearable at times and even makes my eyes sting.  I am SICK of putting Vicks Vapo-rub under my nose in order to be able to sleep a night.  Have gone through a round of Cipro - but it has not helped.  Has actually gotten worse lately.   My best hope at this point seems to be prayer - but will still keep checking on medical options also.  Please let me know if you have any new info.  ***@****

[RHCountess]

I FINALLY found a name for this.  PHANTOSMIA.  It seems to be olfactory nerve damage that can cause phantom smells (smells without a physical source) such as rotting flesh, smoke, or some other unpleasant smell.  This seems to be a connection to viral infections, some medications, or sometime less frequently neurological reasons as a possible source for this condition.  I have seen an ENT specialist and had a cat-scan which did not show anything out of the ordinary - but the specialist said he thought that I had suffered nerve damage which could take months and possibly up to a year to heal - if it ever did heal.   Some mentions of possible instances of surgical solutions without loss of sense of smell - but not sure how proven this path is.  My case seems to be getting worse - have finished a round of Cipro - but no improvement.  Have tried sudafed / Claratin / codeine cough syrup (some relief the following day for a few hours at most).  I also have been battling a case of Thrush (a fungal infection of the tongue / throat) for almost as long as the smoke smell (a result of the Prednisone) taken while sick.
Hope this helps.  Write me at:  ***@**** if you want to discuss further or have any news to share.  Thanks - Maggie

[KellyandPeanut]

Funny thing is the internet says 1 in 15 suffer from this, I call BS. I've had bad allergies all my life and even endo sinus surgery 8 years ago and I just start smelling bad phantom smells after starting bystolic. I smell it at work, home and car.

[RHCountess]

Sorry for the almost duplicate posting - not sure why I was unable to view it after the first posting - so I resubmitted with a few changes.

[stevied]

for the last 6 years or so I have been getting these phantom smells .. but not smoking.. weird stuff like wet cement, the smell of baking,some unknown medicine.. sometimes they'll last for 6 months other times they're gone in a week. I have noticed them less often in the last year. My doctor thinks I'm nuts... I know what I smell. I don't have allergies of any kind and I'm in excellent health  and I can learn to live with the smell of fresh baked bread in my nostrils.. I mean it could be owrse.. still I think I should get someone to check this out especially as I read about Phantom smells being a possible side efect of brain tumors...

[wepst]

well i had an mri and it showed nothing.  sometimes i think it's supplements i'm taking and other times i'm not sure.  didn't have it for a while and now it's back again.  sometimes i get eczema around my nose area and i think it's that. most times it starts in my office where they used to smoke inside and now smoke outside.  but as long as i don't have a tumor i'll live with it.

[Yazzer]

I have been experiencing the smell of smoke for about one year now.  I noticed it when I was lying down at night before I went to sleep.  I thought the neighbour was smoking but everytime I'd go to the window to check, there wasn't any smoke smell coming in.  Then I'd lie down and it would come back.  I figured it was smoke coming through from the floor above (although I knew the folks upstairs didn't smoke).  It didn't have a distinctively cigarette, cigar, pipe, food, or marijuana smell but just something I described as "smokey".  I don't smoke and rarely do I burn something while cooking.  Recently, while travelling I got the smell again when going to sleep, so I knew it was something I was 'carrying' with me.  I have since returned home and still get that smell when I'm lying down, even in the day.  I don't know if I'm just noticing it more or if, in fact, it is increasing.